The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-03-11
The Forty-Ninth Congress.

The Forth-niuth Congress has passed
. off the stage of legislation, and while il
. enacted more than the usual number of
laws, 1t is to be regretted thaJ several
important bills under consideration were
not lu4lIy disposed of before its adjourn
mant. Among these were the ForrEfca-
F tIa.. .: she one providing CJustitu-
ti0ual amendment making the 30-h Of
April Inauguration day The bIIl con
vening Congress within two months of
. its election, instead OF thirteen months
as at present. and the repeal of the Tim
/ Der Culture and Desert Land laws
/ The Importance Of Congress couvening
/ and organizing at i.s first session after
/ its election is obvious 10 view Of the fact
7 that congressman failing in a re election
have no more weight in that body during
its short session than 50 maUy straw
men, except as their votes may decide
an issue one way or another. There
seem5 TO be a tacit understanding il that
/ legislative assembly that men whose
lease expires with the short session are
not 30 be heard in the advocacy Of any
measure. A change in the time Of or
ganiziug Congress would place Repre-
sentatives on more even footing and a
the same time give their constituents q
better opportunity to judge the desira-
bility of returning them before the next
election.
The total number of laws enacted by
the lass Congress exceeded 1900, of
which number more than two-thirds
originated in The House and the remain
der in The senate. There were l32 bills
vetoed by the President, or twenty-one
more Instances Of the exercise Of the
Presidential pIerugative of veto than
had occurred from the foundation of the
Government down to the beginning Of
this Congress. From this it is evident
that President Cleveland is d man who
has the courage of his convictions That
Congress and the people, on mature
deIiberaLiOn. coiucided with The Presi-
dents views, is amply cOrrObOrared by
the fact that but two Of these bills were
af.eTwaTd carried over his veto.
Of the membership of the expiring
Congress, OIe hundred and ninety-six
have been reelected, and the number of
constituencies represented by new men
is one hundred and Jwenty-nine. The
only excuse there will be for the calling
OF an extra session is she failure to make
definite provision for harbor and coast
de!ences, which. coupled with the retail.
iatOry power placed in the hands of the
President might induce him to make
The call, to prepare for possible bus
unexpected crisis. An effort will be
made to urge the necessity for an extra
session by the seabOard cities for this
purpose.
The Forty ninth Congress, like many
predecessors, dallied too much Of it's
time away in political flibustering du-
ring the earlier periods of its sessions,
allowing important bills, affecting the
business and commercial interests of the
country, to be postponed from day TO
day, uu.iI Inc close of the session finds
them still uueLac.ed into laws. There
hos N""u -0 Improvement in this Con-
gress over Is predecessors in this respect
winch, 10 doubt, is due to the frmness
and indus ~ Of the President fully as
much ss to its own general makeup.
With the expiration Of this Congress,
one half Of President Clevelard's term
passed It's second annual milestone. and
his undertaking course in his defined
policy, prssages what may be expected
of him during the remaining half of his
term. He IS 10 be congratulated on The
unexampled success attending him, not
wirhstaudiug the kickeTs both within
and without he ranks of the party. Two
years more OF honest, earnest. straight
forward administration of national af-
fairs and the Democratic party will be
twenty per cent. stronger with the
people than it was two years ago. OF
one thing We can rest assured, y Whatever
the President does will be d0ns advised
ly and after calm GeIiberatiOn. He is a
safe aud reliable balance wheel to the
more impulsive and hasty deliberations
of the legislative departments. 1t illus
trates one of the commen5abIe features
of our form of Government. that when
a bill In a crude and Objectionable form
has passed both Houses, the Executive
has the privilege of annuIling il, or Of
referring it back for revision. Judicious-
Iy exercised, it is one of the highest
safeguards of the people.